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Margaret Lucille Barnier Rebo

Born Margaret Lucille Barnier, Margaret went by the name of Lucille, or Lucy, her entire life, to those who called her by name. But more often than not she was Mom, Gram, Grandma, Auntie or a variation of any of these. She was instantly loved by all whom met her. Lucille exhibited an endless abundance of love, and a nurturing spirit, for family, friends, and children of all makes and models. Lucille would immediately treat any child that crossed her path as her own, and become their instantly adopted "Grandma". The more family, friends and kids around, the happier Lucille was. In her opinion there was no such thing as a house too full, and her full house was never lacking an abundance of joy and laughter.

Lucille was the second of 4 children born to Mary and Julian. Her siblings were older brother, Albert, and younger siblings, Laurence and Adeline Barnier. Lucy also had 6 half-siblings from her mother's previous marriage; Lou, Joe, Julia, Celina, Clarence and Ted LaFord.

Lucille enjoyed reflecting on a lifetime of memories growing up on the farm in Montana. One of her responsibilities as a small child was collecting the cows, for milking as well as bringing them in for the night to keep them safe from predators. It was a job she despised. She laughed many times over the years, remembering her mother calling to her, "Lucy, go get your cows" to which Lucille said she would think to herself, "They're not MY cows! If they were I'd sell them!" Her brother Albert would oftentimes take pity on her and jump on his horse to assist in the roundup

Margaret Lucille Barnier marriedFred Henry Rebo on March 23, 1935, in Glasgow, Montana. Lucille and Fred had a son, Lawrence Fred Rebo, and also reared foster daughter, Jackie Darlene Udin (or Uden). For unknown reasons, Lucille's mother's name on Fred and Lucille's marriage certificate is "Mary Hudson". This is the only reference to her using "Hudson" as a last name that I've found, and why this name is open to speculation. To add to the mystery, this is one of several different names which were used for Mary on her children's marriage and baptism certificates. So far the following last names referencing Mary have been found: Mary Anna Beauleau, Mary Hudson, Mary Beaulure, Mary Barnier, Marie Anna Beaulieu, Mary Beaulier and even the name Minnie Beoulur on the marriage license of her daughter, Celina's marriage to Wilber Cole, Celina's second marriage. Celina's first marriage was to Fred's brother, Harry Rebo.

As a young married couple, Fred and Lucille moved to where the work was. In the mid 1930s, for them, that was New Deal, Montana. In response to the Great Depression, the National Industrial Recovery Act, part of FDR's New Deal, resulted in the building of large-scale public work projects, one of which was the Fort Peck Dam. Lucille and Fred moved to New Deal, Montana, so that Fred could provide for his family, working on the dam. The government constructed a temporary town, Fort Peck, however it wasn't adequate to house the population. New Deal was one of 5 short-lived boom towns, created to accommodate overflow housing for workers and their families. Once the dam was completed, New Deal faded away, turning into a ghost town. The last one out to turn the lights off was the US Post Office, which closed in 1943. Today nothing remains of New Deal with the exception of a few scattered remnants of what were, at one time, buildings.

Once the Fort Peck Dam was completed, Fred and Lucille moved on, in search of work. At one point they settled in Kellogg, Idaho. Fred worked in the mines, and as a truck driver. By 1939 they had moved to Washington State, first settling in Marysville, then eventually bought the farmhouse in Lake Stevens. They called that home for over 40 years, before it became too much to take care of. While living in Lake Stevens Lucille worked for 22 years at Scott Paper Company in Everett, WA. Her shift rotated weekly, from days, to swing, to graveyard. All the while she maintained the farmhouse and raised children, first her own, then Lucille played an invaluable role in raising her grandchildren. Almost always on very little sleep. She never complained, but rather seemed to thrive on the challenge of keeping all the balls in the air.

"The Other Gal's Job - Everett - Give out with the greeting, "Hi, Lucy!" as you walk past the packing station on the napkin unit, and look at the smile you get in return! Lucille Rebo is the alert French-Scotch lass currently filling the spot of napkin hand packer. One of the senior gals in Finishing as far as length of service goes, Lucille has been in Division B Finishing for nearly four years. She has moved through the jobs of napkin box stuffer, facial packer operator, napkin box machine operator, napkin hand packer, and is soon to start in on the new single-ply napkin machine as inspector-wrapper operator.

Lucille was born in Montana, at Bainville, where her father had homesteaded after coming to the United States from his native France. After admitting she still has "itchy feet" she confessed to a love for travel that has moved her to many locations in Montana, Oregon, Washington and Idaho following her husband who is a construction welder. Having moved through quite a range of positions in Finishing, Lucille is aware of the importance of "Other Gal's Job" and is keenly conscious of the teamwork that is the necessary ingredient to 'Building Sell Into Every Product.'"

One way Lucille showed her love was through providing nourishment...pretty much constantly. Her most frequently spoken phrase, asked as a question, was, "Are you hungry?". Lucille would oftentimes ask this not long after a huge, and delectable, meal that she had lovingly prepared. A meal in which everyone ate until they had absolutely no room left for another, even minute, bite. Nothing made Lucille happier than preparing food for loved ones. To her, food not only provided nourishment for the body, but also for the soul. She epitomized the concept of soul food.

A favorite time of year for Lucille's loved ones was always Christmastime. Lucille would start early and begin baking everyone's Christmas favorites; peanut butter fudge, mocha bars, snowballs, Ritz chocolate covered cookies, vanilla wafer coconut cookies, date bars, chocolate fudge, and many more, then freezing container after container until the magical moment when all of the sudden there would be tray upon tray of each and every loved one's favorites on their own special tray to take home and enjoy. So many wonderful family memories surround one version or another of a loved one "sneaking" out to the garage chest freezer to "sample" the goodies hidden within. Lucille would feign ignorance that her containers of frozen delights were dwindling fast, laugh to herself and then prepare to make yet another batch to fill the ever increasing cavity left by a loved one's ravenous hands.

Another favorite time of year was the summer fruit harvesting season when Lucille would make batch upon batch of homemade jam and send dozens of jars home with loved ones. Enough to get them through the year, until next season. Raspberry jam made from raspberries off of their abundantly producing raspberry bushes was always a favorite. She would also make blackberry, strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb (again, picked fresh from their garden), pineapple-apricot, and pie cherry (picked from their pie cherry tree).

Lucille and Fred lived on their farmhouse in Lake Stevens, Washington for about 40 years, before it became too much to keep up with. In 1981 they sold the farmhouse and moved back to Marysville, Washington where they lived for 10 years. They then briefly lived in a rental in Arlington before buying their next house in Stanwood, Washington. They found that Stanwood didn't feel like home to them so before long they moved back to Everett, Washington. After Fred passed away in 2001 Lucille eventually moved back to Marysville Washington.

Lucille and Fred were living their 65th year as a married couple when Fred passed away on January 28, 2001 at the age of 92 years old.

We lost our beloved Lucille on September 05, 2010. R.I.P. She is loved and missed beyond measure.